


[TLHR Remas] Delicate

by insanelycoolish



Series: Love-Hate Relationship Universe [3]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Band Fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I love them so much okay, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Light Angst, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Prior to the Events of TLHR, Remas, Remy isn't alcoholic but has been drinking a lot, Remy/Thomas, Suggestive Themes, Thomas is a parent friend, Thomas/Remy, but it's how their relationship starts, i mean it already is by end of the chapter, i promise its getting better, if i forgot anything let me know, just a small suggestive moment, just wanna make sure i get all the necessary tags, past loss of parent, so thats why the tags, sorry for all the angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 05:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16340393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanelycoolish/pseuds/insanelycoolish
Summary: Thomas can’t stop thinking about Remy. No, that wasn’t right. He can’t stop thinking abouthelpingRemy. Yeah, that was it.Note:Takes place prior to the events ofTLHR.A Part of theThis Love-Hate RelationshipVerse





	[TLHR Remas] Delicate

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I am not affiliated with Thomas Sanders or Joan, nor the rest of their group. I do not own or make money off of these characters. I only own the story as it is written. Songs used in this fic are owned by the artists themselves and will be linked in the chapter that contains them.
> 
> Super uber thanks to my beta reader [Lora](https://the-angry-hufflepuff.tumblr.com/) and the two that preread to be sure my characterization was on point, [Jen](http://sunshineandteddybears.tumblr.com/) and [Jude](http://lazyscouts.tumblr.com/). The links will take you to their Tumblrs. If you'd like to follow me as well, you can find me at [insanelycoolish](http://insanelycoolish.tumblr.com/).

* * *

Delicate

**A This Love-Hate Relationship One Shot**  
( Link to Song: [Delicate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCXGJQYZ9JA) by **Taylor Swift**. )

* * *

Thomas had been serious when he offered his help to Remy. No one should have to go through the loss of a loved one alone, so when the band manager completely ignored him and started to withdraw, Thomas found himself personally offended. 

He tried not to let it get to him, he really did. But get to him it did. That was, until he finally decided to do something about it. After all, it wasn’t just his refusing help that had offended Thomas. Worse, his refusal was making it impossible for him to do his job well. That was not good for the band. Therefore, Thomas felt he had every right to be outside Remy’s hotel room door the night after the first night of two evening engagements in LA. 

The others had gone out, wanting to explore the night life. None of them had noticed anything wrong with Remy, not even Patton. The coffee-addicted man was very good at playing it cool. Thomas knew better, though. It was time for an intervention. 

He knocked on the door. His knock was tentative at first but became more urgent after the first two unanswered knocks. Thomas hated confrontation, but this had to be done. It was important. 

Shuffling and muttered cursing sounded from the room. A few seconds later, the door was thrown open and Remy glared out at him. His gaze softened, however, once he registered that it was Thomas, the fight leaving dark, bloodshot eyes. 

“Oh, it’s you.” He muttered, words slurring.

A few things hit Thomas at once. First, Remy was only wearing a pair of hot pink boxer briefs, his near nakedness showing off taut, corded muscles and defined abs that Thomas had not been aware their manager possessed. Second, Thomas was hit with the realization that he was very, _very_ gay. Well, no. That was already common knowledge to anyone who knew him and especially to himself. But what he hadn’t realized, or perhaps what he had been ignoring, was that he had become very gay for Remy somewhere down the line. 

Well, that explained the constant glances and general anxiety over his wellbeing. 

He sighed, ignoring the heat that rushed up his neck, hoping it stopped there and did not slip into his cheeks. 

“Well, come in if you’re going to. Close the door.” 

Thomas did as he was told, hovering awkwardly against the back of the door as he looked around. 

The third thing that hit him, and probably the most important, was that Remy was obviously still hurting and had been self-medicating with alcohol. 

That had to stop. Now. 

“Remy.” 

The band’s manager had returned to his bed, laying out on it as he picked up the bottle of tequila from his bedside table. The room wasn’t trashed, but from the way Remy looked, somehow simultaneously broken and angry, it might as well have been. His normally immaculate hair was disheveled from far too much sleep, and Thomas’s heart squeezed to see the pain in his eyes, hidden behind forced indifference.

“This _needs_ to stop, Remy.” 

Remy blinked up at him as if not understanding. Then, slowly, his eyes narrowed and he smirked at him. 

“Yeah, okay. Whatever, girl.” 

That was it. If Remy wasn’t going to look out for himself, then Thomas was going to do it for him. 

He crossed to the bed and used the element of surprise to wrench the bottle from Remy’s hand. Before the older man could stop him, Thomas rushed to the bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind him. It wasn’t long before Remy was tugging and twisting on the handle, which soon devolved into banging on the surface of the door, begging him to give the bottle back. Thomas wasn’t scared though. 

Yes, Remy’s anger was very real, but it was hiding a much deeper pain. Remy wasn’t mad at him anyway. He was furious at life for taking the one person that had meant the most to him. 

Thomas stared at the bottle. He considered taking a few drinks himself to calm down but he knew that that wouldn’t help either of them. It seemed a waste to get rid of it but he promised himself that he would pay Remy back as he poured the remaining liquor down the bathroom sink. 

“You have no fucking right, Thomas. Bring that back out here right now.” 

Thomas sighed, glancing at the door. His heart clenched. 

He wanted to help the older man but he had never gone through what Remy was going through. He had come close a month ago, but... 

His eyes widened.

_Oh._

A quick glance at his cell phone confirmed his worst fear. 

It had been exactly one month since the day Thomas had gotten the call that his mom was severely sick but was on the road to recovery. It had been exactly a month since Remy had guided him so gently to his temporary office so they could talk. 

It was also exactly a month since the day that Remy’s mother had passed away. 

Thomas remembered it like it had been yesterday. For Remy, it probably felt like it. Thomas had held Remy as he had given in and cried. He had listened as Remy talked about his mother. She had been an amazing woman and an even better mother to him and his twin. She had single handedly raised Remy and Nate from newborns after their biological father—or bastard of a sperm donor as Remy called him—had checked out. Her parents had wanted nothing to do with her or the babies because they came from old money and hadn’t approved of the relationship. 

Though the man was out of her life, they would still not accept her back into the family. As they saw it, she had made her bed and would have to lie in it. They would never accept her sons as their grandchildren. As one of _them_. 

His mother had been the closest person he had his life, even closer than his own twin had been. They had been close during his childhood and had become best friends into his adulthood. Due to his mother’s history with his and Nate’s grandparents, Remy found it easier to trust no one until they proved themselves worthy of that trust. Nate had been the complete opposite on that front, finding it too much work to be so vigilant.

Thomas allowed a spare thought for Nate. The man took on a job as the head of the band’s road crew. Though he was pretty lazy, he was surprisingly good at delegating tasks. Ever since he was placed in the position, the band’s equipment and luggage were always packed up and loaded in time, if not a little early. The bassist was not close to Nate. In fact, they had maybe talked a handful of times at the most since Nate started working for them two years ago. Thomas now found himself wondering how the leather-loving equipment manager was holding up.

_SHLUMP._

Thomas looked at the door suddenly. He had just heard a sound, like something heavy falling against the door.

_Remy!_

Thomas left his cell phone on the bathroom counter and the bottle in the sink, rushing to unlock the door and pulling it open. It had never made sense to him why hotels had their bathroom doors open inward. It took up far too much space in an already small room, but today he was beyond grateful. 

Remy lay on his side, facing the door. At least he had been facing the door when it had been closed and now faced a very worried Thomas, who was thankful to see that his eyes were open. 

The worry was replaced with sympathy as he watched the older man’s body shaking with silent sobs. Thomas dropped to the floor and pulled Remy into his arms just as he had exactly a month ago. 

“I know that this is how you’ve handled pain and disappointment in the past. You had to be strong. For Nate, right? Well, Nate’s not here right now, Rem. It’s just me, and if you don’t let it out, it is going to eat you up inside. Remy, we need you around. None of us… I …. We don’t want to lose you. You’re important to me. To all of us.” 

Almost immediately, miraculously, Remy let go. For the second time since he had known him, the second time in such a short span of time, Thomas held the broken man as he gave into his grief.

»»————　★　————««

Thomas didn’t know how long he held the other but as Remy’s cries faded to softer sniffles, he decided it would be a good idea to get Remy to bed. He would be sure to get him to drink _at least_ a full bottle of water, if not two, and eat a little snack before he let him sleep. 

“Come on, buddy. I need to get you some water and food, and you don’t need to be hanging out on the ground.” 

Remy said nothing, so Thomas took that as an okay. Standing up, he reached down to help Remy onto his feet. 

The manager let him lead him to the king-sized bed. Thomas pulled back the covers and top sheet before helping the man sit. He watched as the manager pulled his legs onto the bed, sliding them under the covers. 

“Stay sitting. I know you want to sleep, but only after I’ve gotten some water in you and something to eat.” 

Remy waved his hand at Thomas in a flippant manner that Thomas decided to take as permission, even if it was more likely he was telling him to leave well enough alone. It could have just as easily have been Remy saying _whatever, girl, do as you wish_. 

And so, he would. 

Glancing at the bedside table, Thomas swiped up the room key card he found and hurried to the door. He allowed one more glance back at Remy, who was still sitting, which made Thomas smile. Rushing from the room, Thomas headed down to the lobby. 

»»————　★　————««

One trip to the hotel shop later, Thomas returned to the room, a bag of his purchases in one hand and the keycard in the other. He let himself into the room, pleasantly surprised to find Remy sitting right where had left him. Letting the door close behind him, he grinned.

“Hey! Glad you’re still up!” 

Remy looked up at him and rolled his eyes. 

“Well, you pretty much denied me crying myself to sleep, babe, so yeah. I’m still up.” 

Though he spoke like he was teasing, Thomas could hear the hint of truth. 

“Nope. Don’t think I did, Rem. What I _said_ was that you could sleep _after_ I get some water and food in you. If you want to cry yourself to sleep, I would never stop you.” 

Remy stared at him for a few seconds, opened his mouth to say something, before closing it as if he thought better about it. He snorted, smirking. 

“You’re such a parent, Thomas.” 

Thomas couldn’t help but grin at that, spreading his arms out as if asking what he was going to do about it. It was also the nicest thing that Remy had ever said to him. Not hat he said rude things to him but until his mother’s death, he had kept the band members at arms’ length. Thomas understood why. He was their manager, after all. It was important to keep things professional. Getting close to the band could cause conflicts of interest. 

However, seeing Remy like this, soft and even a little playful… it made Thomas want to see more of it.

_A lot_ more of it. 

“I don’t see you complaining.”

Not wanting to give the older man time to come up with a complaint, he quickly crossed the room and began pulling his purchases out of the bag. 

Four bottles of water and three different kinds of chips now sat on the bedside table near Remy. 

“Drink _at least_ one and a half bottles of water. I would like to see you drink two, though.” 

“Oh, is _that_ all?” 

Remy turned to face him, setting his feet on the ground. He grabbed one of the bottles and began to drink. 

Thomas laughed and moved to sit next to him, leaving a bit of space between them so that he could turn his body to face him. He pulled his legs up onto the bed, crossing them sailor style before resting his arms on his legs. He then watched the older man closely. 

Remy finished off one bottle. He placed the empty plastic into the trash can between the bed and nightstand before grabbing a second. 

Thomas continued to watch, his eyes taking in Remy opening the bottle and bringing it to his lips. He had downed maybe a third of the water when he lowered the bottle to look at Thomas.

“Are you going to watch me the whole time, Thomas?” 

The bassist blushed and was about to sputter out an apology when Remy laughed. A smile, though soft and brief, lingered on his lips. He had obviously been teasing. 

Thomas grinned. 

Two could play at that game. 

“I just might.” 

Remy’s smile slowly became a smirk. He closed the water bottle and set it down on the bedside table. Thomas frowned. Remy had not drunk nearly enough water for his liking. 

"What if I _like_ you watching me?" 

Thomas's eyes widened as he looked up from the abandoned bottle into Remy's eyes. He was leaning in closer, a hungry look in that suddenly heated gaze. 

Thomas knew he should have pulled away, looked away, or change the topic but he found it impossible to break away from his gaze. 

"You sure do like bringing yourself into my business, babe, don’t you?" 

Thomas blushed and held up his hands. 

"No, I was... I just wanted to help---" 

"It's okay. I mean, I don't really _like_ people getting into my business. But somehow, when it's _you_ , I don't really mind." 

Thomas felt the heat rush to his face even as that gaze had heat running south. He tried to fight it, but the siren call was far too strong and his gaze fell to Remy’s lips before returning to his eyes. Remy seemed to take that as all the permission he needed because, in the next second, he crushed his mouth against Thomas’s.

The bassist closed his eyes as he kissed back. He was ashamed to admit that he had wanted Remy to kiss him for just under a month now but had purposely ignored the desire. After all, why would Remy want someone like him? He was just a bassist in the band Remy managed. Nothing special. 

It wasn’t until Remy had shifted so that he could guide Thomas down to the bed’s surface that Thomas realized that while this _was_ what he wanted, this was far from _how_ he wanted it to happen. 

Pushing Remy up, Thomas scooted out from under him. He swallowed hard as he put space between them, standing up and looking at the older man. He looked annoyed, though with himself or Thomas, Thomas didn’t know. It didn’t matter though. Thomas also noticed the disappointment that radiated from the manager, but didn’t know what to say. 

“I shouldn’t have done that, Thomas. I’m sorry.” 

Thomas longed to go to him. Reach out and assure him it was fine. That he had enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind more when he was sober, but he could sense that all of his reassurances would fall on deaf ears. He had learned that when Remy didn’t want to hear something, he wouldn’t. 

“Just go. I’ll… I’ll be okay.” 

Thomas nodded. He turned to go but hesitated, his eyes falling to the water bottles and chips. 

“I’ll finish the damn water and snack on some chips, babe, okay? Now, will you go?” 

Thomas bit his lip but turned and headed to the door. He reached out and opened the door, but at the last moment, licked his lips, pressing his fingers to his mouth. 

Okay, he needed to go _right then_ before he made some really stupid decisions. Blushing, he turned back to Remy. 

“For what it’s worth…” He bit his lip as still heated eyes met his, lingering.

_Leave, Thomas. **Now.**_

“That kiss was amazing. Good night!” 

With that, Thomas fled the room, rushing back to his own.

**Author's Note:**

> **Author Notes:** This is the second Remas (Remy/Thomas) one shot in the TLHR AU Verse. I hope you guys enjoy! Yes, I know there was more angst but there was fluff too! And you can see how this is gonna help their relationship grow more healthily! As always, please, _please_ comment and let me know how you liked. It can be a long chapter or just a keyboard smash or anything in between. Kudos are appreciated as well, but the comments make my day! Thank you!
> 
> **Note:** The song this oneshot is named after is _Delicate_ by Taylor Swift. No real reason for this one except that the song fits them as a whole, and the title works for this one shot. It’s a good song anyway. Here is the link to the song: [click](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCXGJQYZ9JA). Also, the Tumblr tag for this AU Verse is _TLHR AU_.
> 
> **Thank you all!!! ❤**


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